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bigbookslilreads 's review for:
A Universe from Nothing: Why There is Something Rather Than Nothing
by Lawrence M. Krauss
As most reviewers have pointed out, this book came to be after the enormous success that a lecture by Krauss had on Youtube on the same subject. I haven't seen it personally, but I must admit that I am inclined to recommend you to see it instead of reading this book. Or listening to it, which is what I did.
Now, don't get me wrong, I found the topic very fascinating and, while I think it could've used a better audiobook narrator (it is Krauss in my version), Krauss' writing was quite engaging and accessible. However, the book didn't need to be as long as it was, and I got the gist of it pretty quickly. Especially because in Krauss' exploration of the topic, he decided to go beyond physics to more philosophical meanderings, but his superficial approach of these didn't add much to the argument. In fact, I feel like it might have detracted from its objectiveness. Some of his key concepts, e.g. nothingness and flat universe, I think could've used more explanation. I also don't think he actually answered the main question of "why" something emerges from 'nothingness'. I might have missed something, but I'm pretty sure he just said "because it can".
Besides that, I found some of his remarks... slightly unnerving, let's say. Most likely something very entwined in my personal experience, but for example when he talked about how coincidental acts that are interpreted by some people as having meaning, really don't have any. Namely, someone dreaming of something and that exact thing happens the day after. Paraphrasing here: "oh, in such an immense span of space and time, anything can happen, so don't take that as some sort of sign". Hmm, ok? I don't even think that has anything to do with his argument, so that seems kind of a jerk move to me.
There are really interesting points of discussion presented in this book, nonetheless, and in its majority I found it enjoyable. Namely, I liked the discussion on dark energy, dark matter and general relativity. But I probably should've just watched the lecture.
Now, don't get me wrong, I found the topic very fascinating and, while I think it could've used a better audiobook narrator (it is Krauss in my version), Krauss' writing was quite engaging and accessible. However, the book didn't need to be as long as it was, and I got the gist of it pretty quickly. Especially because in Krauss' exploration of the topic, he decided to go beyond physics to more philosophical meanderings, but his superficial approach of these didn't add much to the argument. In fact, I feel like it might have detracted from its objectiveness. Some of his key concepts, e.g. nothingness and flat universe, I think could've used more explanation. I also don't think he actually answered the main question of "why" something emerges from 'nothingness'. I might have missed something, but I'm pretty sure he just said "because it can".
Besides that, I found some of his remarks... slightly unnerving, let's say. Most likely something very entwined in my personal experience, but for example when he talked about how coincidental acts that are interpreted by some people as having meaning, really don't have any. Namely, someone dreaming of something and that exact thing happens the day after. Paraphrasing here: "oh, in such an immense span of space and time, anything can happen, so don't take that as some sort of sign". Hmm, ok? I don't even think that has anything to do with his argument, so that seems kind of a jerk move to me.
There are really interesting points of discussion presented in this book, nonetheless, and in its majority I found it enjoyable. Namely, I liked the discussion on dark energy, dark matter and general relativity. But I probably should've just watched the lecture.